CHANEL

Sheseido Maquillage has released a new line of lipsticks this year called Dramatic Melting Rouge. Since I am a devotee of their highly popular lip gloss (Essence Glamorous Rouge that has won many beauty awards in Japan), I was excited about this new launch. Similar to the lip gloss that was enriched with hyaluronic acid, this new lipstick claims to have a high concentration of their unique blend of ‘beauty oil’ that hydrates your lips like moisturizing essence, and provides a full coverage with a mirror shine gloss.

I picked the colors PK227 and RD425 – a pink and a bright red as they are my go-to colors these days. The texture completely lives up to my expectations as they are ultra smooth and glides on like silk that just melts into your lips. It nourishes even the driest lips without enhancing any dry skin and lines, and make them appear fuller and youthful. It feels very lightweight and extremely hydrating on the lips. The coverage is excellent and it’s opaque with a degree of translucency. It also has a jelly like shine without any shimmer which I absolutely adore. Best of all, they are very long lasting for a glossy lipstick. The colors remain at full intensity even after 4 hours of wear and I even had snacks in between!

Shiseido Maquillage Dramatic Melting Rouge in PK227 is a beautiful girly and soft neutral pink that is neither too cool or nor too warm. You probably would have seen a gazillion of them on my blog, but this shade just guarantees to make me feel happy and pretty which is the most important purpose of wearing makeup!

Lip Swatch with a single swipe – natural day light

FOTD wearing PK227

Shiseido Maquillage Dramatic Melting Rouge in RD425 is a bright cherry red in high gloss. You can either apply this color to the center of your lips for a gradient look, or you can apply it to your entire lips for a more glamorous look but still stay young and fresh.

This month my favorite eye shadow palette has to be my new Bobbi Brown Smokey Nudes Eye Shadow Palette. As a neutral eye shadow addict, I could not resist the color palette of this one – with many wearable soft neutral shades and a few smokey shades in a variety of finishes that I will make so much use out of. Bobbi Brown tends to release eye shadow palettes in either warm tones, or cold tones, but this palette leans perfectly neutral which is a rare find so I decided to add this one to my collection.

The Bobbi Brown’s signature two tier design of this palette is also another attraction for me. I just love the fact that there are 8 reasonable sized eye shadows housed in such a sleek and compact case. The texture of each shadow is also on par with their single eyeshadow, as they are very smooth and apply effortlessly without any fall out including the sparkly shades. This palette contains three different types of eye shadows – the matte, the metallic, and the sparkly, so I get to show my playful creativity as I really enjoy mixing and matching these shades for different day and night looks .

Shade description – all the shades included in this palette are exclusive and are not available in their permanent collection. I absolutely love Bobbi Brown’s Metallic single eye shadows for their amazing shimmer factor and high intensity, but the color choices are very limited. So I am very pleased to find out that this palette contains 2 metallic shades that are in the most gorgeous neutral colors.

Top Tier (clockwise)

- Cream (matte): A creamy ivory shade that is almost the same color as my skin. An essential color to be included in a palette for serving it as base color purpose.

- Naked (matte): A warm nude with a hint of mauve undertone, and leans slightly warm on my skin.

- Woodrose (matte): A medium ash brown and is perfect for contouring.

- Silver Brown (sparkle): A sparkly grey brown with a hint of silvery purple tinge to it. Adds a glamour touch to the eye makeup for a soft smokey look.

Bottom Tier (clockwise)

- Watercolor pink (sparkle): A sparkly pale pink

- Nude Beach (metallic): A cool shimmery sandy beige, and is one of the most beautiful shades in this palette.

- Smoked (matte): A rich brown black in matte

- Smokey Brown (metallic): A true taupe with a metallic sheen. I wish they have this in the single form so I will buy a dozen of them lol.

Top Tier

Bottom Tier

Bottom Line: Must have! And it also makes a perfect gift for your girlfriends. I bought the Bobbi Brown Smokey Nudes Eye Shadow Palettehere in Australia, and apparently it is all sold out at Bobbi Brown Online. In the US it is available at Nordstrom and SAKS with the following two great deals!

Calling it “I hate clogged pores with passion” is an understatment. Though this problem has become much better as I age (one perk about getting old!) as well as knowing what skincare products work for me, unfortunately every now and then my skin still ‘flares up’ with blackheads on my nose, and some congested pores on my cheeks and forehead due to stress, lack of sleep, and PMS. If that happens, I always reach for my “special skincare kit” that guarantees to clear them up within several days. These four hero products give the most effective result without irritating my sensitive skin, and are also great for prevention. They are the best ones I have used so far, so I must share!

1. Clarisonic Facial Cleansing System – I have a very detailed review here. This cleansing brush tool is great for prevention and minimizing the occurrence of clogged pores. On average I use it 3 days a week as I don’t like to over exfoliate my skin.

2. Kate Somerville Intensive Exfoliating Treatment – This is the best exfoliator for congested skin. It’s a very strong and robust product for clearing up mild cases of congested pores and smoothing skin out completely. I apply a very thin layer over the ‘rough areas’ and leave it on for a few minutes. It clears up and clarifies the congested pores by at least 50% after each use. Since it is a very intensive treatment I wouldn’t use this as my weekly exfoliator, but this is my absolute top pick for treating blackheads/whiteheads on occasions. If you have very sensitive skin you might want to start with the Gentle Exfoliating Treatment first. For daily use I recommend TATCHA Rice Enzyme Powder for purifying the pores gently.

3. Shiseido Revital Retino Science AA Lotion – I bought this product because it has a small percentage of retinol which we all know is a dermatologist approved ingredient for treating enlarged pores. I don’t have much luck with retinol cream but I feel comfortable to use this gentle lotion frequently for hydrating and improving skin texture. This product is a treatment lotion that you use after cleansing, and followed up by other products. The texture is like runny gel and feels very hydrating on the skin which also helps to fight the aging signs.

4. Chanel Le Weekend Renewing Face Care – Chanel released a 3-step simplified skincare product this year. I have used all of them and decided to only repurchase this one. This product is marketed to be used on weekends only as it helps to resurface and renew the skin. I like this product because it contains glycolic acid complex (not sure the percentage but it’s the 4th ingredient) which is another star ingredient for treating congested pores, and it feels gentle enough for my skin. The texture is like a milky serum and it can be used to replace your usual serum and moisturizer. Using this one for 2 days in conjunction with the Shiseido retinol lotion definitely helps to noticeably unclog the pores, and gets you as close as possible to a poreless complexion. Note that they are not recommended to be used daily, as you don’t want your skin to be too dependent on these strong ingredients especially if you are still young.

I missed out on the beautiful Chanel Jardin de Camalias Illuminating Powder that was released earlier this year, so I made sure I was quick enough to snatch the Chanel CAMELIA DE PLUMES HIGHLIGHTING POWDER when the Holiday 2014 Collection was out in Australia. I thought I was quick but I was still told it was the last one at the Sydney counter at the time of purchase! Along with the highlighter, I also picked up the STYLO YUEX Eyeliner Or Blanc 987which will also be covered in today’s review, with the other products reviewed here.

The design of Chanel highlighters has always been the biggest selling point of this product to me. As a big fan of Chanel, I am always attracted to anything with the iconic interlock C or the Camelias. And compared to the other Chanel fashion items, their makeup is much more affordable but offers the almost same level of satisfaction!

The texture of the CAMELIA Highlighting Powder is buttery smooth and extremely finely milled. I was a little skeptical whether the color would suit my skin-tone, as it looked quite frosty and silvery from the pan. Upon swatching and application on my face, I am glad that it works great with my skin-tone (NC15-20). Depending on the angle you are looking at it, the product actually has a champagne golden beige undertone with a hint of silver sheen. When it’s applied on my face it blends in to my skin with an illuminating sheen. The degree of shimmer is slightly more than the other Chanel Highlighters I have, and is on par with the the conventional European brands such as the MAC Mineralize Skinfinish, Nars Highlighting Blush Albatross, or the Charlotte Tilbury Bronze and Glow. If your skin color is more than NC30, it’s best for you to go and check this product out in person.

The Stylo Yeux Eyeliner in OR BLANC 987 matches with the highlighting powder perfectly. It is almost the same color – looks silvery but applies ivory golden beige with shimmer. This color makes a great highlighter for the inner tear duct, or along the inner rims for a more eye opening effect. I love the Chanel Stylos Yeux in general and always tend to collect them in different colors – they are silky smooth to apply (never tugs the skin) and stays put for a whole day without smudging on me. Best of all, they are the perfect size for carrying them around in a makeup pouch – not too long and chubby.

Whilst I am still in the process of putting together some more reviews for the other products I picked up from the Chanel Holiday 2014 collection, I thought I’ll quickly share some of my favorite products for the month of October before it ends. The monthly favorite posts are my all time favorite posts/videos to watch from other bloggers, and I don’t know why have I never done one?! So I am definitely going to incorporate this new series into my blogging schedule going forward.

1. Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette – So glad I was able to get hold of this one from Net-A-Porter. I’ve been holding out on buying the individual blushes in the hope that they would release a palette one day, and my wish has been granted! It’s also available here in the US. Detailed review for this one as well as the highlighting palette is coming soon.

2. Chanel Camelia De Plumes Highlighting Powder – Every year Chanel releases an art piece of highlighter which is worthy of collection. This piece is stunning on its own, and also works great as a highlighter without looking frosty on me. Detailed review coming soon.

It is no secret that Chanel makes my heart flutter. I wasn’t planning to get that many items from the PLUMES PRECIEUSES De CHANEL Holiday 2014 Collection, but I succumbed when I saw them in real life. They are simply stunning and all look very flattering on my skin tone with the items I picked. Today’s review is for the Chanel Joues Contraste Blush CARESSE 180 and the Illusion D’Ombre Eyeshadow Envol 847.

I won’t go into the details of the texture of Joues Contraste Blush as they have been reviewed many times on my blog. In short they are ‘baked’ to perfection – very smooth, finely milled and easy to apply. CARESSE looked like a plain pale peach with micro silver shimmer from the pan, but once I tried it on my face I just couldn’t let it go. It shows up as a soft wash of coral peach with a hint of rose-gold undertone with the signature Chanel soft glow that gives a youthful, glowy and plumped effect. This color made me appear a lot more revived as soon as I had it on my face after a long day of work, and I knew I had to bring it home and it will be the workhorse blush as part my everyday makeup items. It has medium opacity and it can be applied sheer or layered for more color.

The Illusion D’Ombre Eyeshadow in Envol is another must buy item from this collection for the neutral makeup lovers. The color is very similar to the CARESSE blush, but more translucent and shimmery with a stronger undertone of rose gold. It provides a soft and shimmery wash of color which serves as a good wash for the eyelid, as well as for highlighting purpose. The color, wearability and its versatility makes this a worthy purchase. I have mentioned that I adore the formulation of the Illusion D’Ombre cream eyeshadow – the cushiony soft texture makes it easy to apply and blend, and the shimmery finish is neither metallic nor frosty. The longevity is also outstanding. I have had cream eye shadows from other brands which were purchased around the same time as my first few Chanel Illusion D’ombre, and they have all dried up since then, except for the Chanel ones which are still performing as good as they were new.

Let’s kick off the review with its ultra modern and unique packaging. Chanel packaging never ceases to impress me, and I greatly appreciate their packaging evolving throughout time for a modern take whilst maintaining a classic Chanel look. These new lipglosses are housed in a sleek black lacquered tubes, and to use the gloss you just click the base to push out the product itself which comes with a gold base. I think the design has a very interesting innovation to it and makes it convenient to use with just one click.

The new Chanel Rouge Allure Colour and Shine Lip Gloss delivers the color of a lipstick and the lacquered shine of a lip gloss. The texture is smooth, rich and creamy as it adheres to the lips rather than being runny. The beveled double-sided, flocked applicator allows for ultra-precise definition. It has a lacquered cream shine that makes your lips fuller and more plumped. They are not sticky, but it doesn’t feel weightless on the lips which is my only gripe. Compared to my HG Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss, this new line obviously has much better color payoff for a more intense and sophisticated glossy finish, and you never need to wear a lipstick underneath this gloss. Whereas the Extrait de Gloss is more sheer and luminous with a jelly-like gloss finish, they are more young and great for people who don’t like to wear too much color on the lips.

left – 13 Affriolant Right – 16 Extase

13 Affriolantis a coral pink. When it comes to picking lip colors I tend to stay in my comfort zone and Affriolant is just the right color that I would reach for everyday so I get the most value out it!16 Extase is a bright rosey pink that is neither too cool nor too warm. Again this is a fool proof color that would complement any makeup look and makes my complexion more brightened and alive.

Holiday season is just around the corner and I am starting to look for resort wear and travel friendly yet stylish shoes for my coming soon vacation. I had my eyes set on this pair of Stella McCartney Wedge Platform Loafers as soon as they were out, and little did I know they were completely sold out within days across major online stores for my size. I had to add my name on the wishlist for quite a while until they were restocked! They are uber chic luxe loafers with a mannish inspired look. Flatforms can feel chunky but this pair is very flexible as they are quite light and the heels are made of rubber. Perfect as ‘walking shoes’ and I can dress down or up with them.

* Reika * Sydney AUSTRALIA A personal blog about the finer things in life for women - beauty, fashion and lifestyle. A Sydney girl trapped in the world of the IT industry which supports her unhealthy shopping addiction. Contact me on frontrowbeauty [ AT ] gmail.com